Many connectors are available on the market today which incorporate a terminal retention feature to adequately hold the terminal in the terminal receiving openings. These retention features are particularly necessary when the connector is to be used in environments in which vibration and like will occur.
An example of the type of connector described above is shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/500,982 filed Mar. 28, 1990. The connector disclosed has a housing assembly which is intended to receive at least one terminal therein. The housing assembly has a housing body with a terminal locking member. A terminal position assurance member is also provided. The housing body has a mating face and a rear terminal receiving face which is directed oppositely with respect to the mating face. A terminal receiving passage way extends through the housing body from the rear face towards the mating face and the terminal locking member is insertable into the housing body from the mating face. The housing assembly is characterized in that the passage way has internal wall portions which have a fixed shoulder thereon which is directed towards the mating face. A cantilever beam is provided in the passage way, the beam has a fixed shoulder. The beam has a moveable shoulder thereon adjacent to its free end which is directed towards the mating face. The beam is flexible laterally of its length away from the fixed shoulder. The terminal locking member has a beam engaging portion which is positioned adjacent to the free end of the beam when the locking member is inserted into the body portion. The locking member is insertable only when the beam is in its unflexed position. A terminal with retaining portions thereon is inserted into the passageway from the rear face until the retaining portions are beyond the shoulders. The cantilever beam is temporarily flexed during movement of the terminal past the shoulders. After insertion of the terminal, the locking member can be inserted into the mating face. The fixed shoulder is preferably on an ear which in integral with, and extends from, the internal wall portions of the passage way. The beam engaging portion of the locking member is moveable against the beam when the beam is in its flexed condition. This configuration ensures that the locking member can be inserted into the housing body only if the terminal is fully inserted. The locking member cannot be inserted into the housing body if the terminal is only partially inserted. The beam engaging portion is positioned beside, or adjacent to, the cantilever beam after insertion and serves to prevent flexure of the beam when the locking member is inserted. The terminal is now locked in the housing assembly.
These prior art connectors are adequate in applications in which the terminal receiving cavities are spaced sufficiently apart. However, in instances in which the space is at a premium and centerline spacing it to be minimized these prior art connectors are inadequate.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide a retention member which utilizes less space. This would allow the terminal receiving cavities to be positioned on closer center line spacing, which in turn allows the terminals to be spaced closer together. This is an important advantage particularly as connectors are required to facilitate higher density applications.
It would also be beneficial to provide a separate terminal retention member, allowing the terminal retention member to be removed and replaced if damage occurs. In prior connectors, in which the terminal retention members were integrally molded with the housing, the entire connector would have to be replaced if a single terminal retention member were damaged.